Elizabeth Phillips (7 Jul 1930 - 25 Sep 2017)

Elizabeth, or Betty as she was better known, was born in Bath in 1930 to George Arthur Philips and his wife Ella. She was the younger sister of Joan. She was dearly loved by her whole family who will remember her sharp wit and her penchant for bucking trends.
After leaving school, Betty began her highly successful career in Exeter. She trained at a number of architecture firms before qualifying as an architect in Bristol in 1962. This was no mean feat, as architecture in the 50s and 60s was very much a man’s world. Betty was clearly a very hard-working and tenacious young woman!
On a similar vein, the family fondly recalls another occasion when Betty demonstrated her headstrong personality. One sunny day while driving along the M5, Betty decided she had better places to be – in this case, the A38. She calmly indicated left, and used the hard shoulder to drive through the fields just south of Columpton by the little copse café. Literally nothing could stand in Betty’s way.
After qualifying as an architect, Betty’s career took her to Edinburgh where she met Catharine – her dear friend and housemate. Here, Betty dabbled in research and lecturing before moving to Croydon with Catharine in the mid-1970s to work as Principal Research Architect for the local Health Authority.
She retired in 1984, but continued to work as a consultant and author of architecture until she and Catharine moved to Taunton in 2000 to be closer to the family.
Together, Betty and Catharine shared a passion for the extraordinary. Every Christmas, Betty and Catharine sent the family hotly-anticipated festive parcels. They always contained the most interesting, useful, but occasionally baffling gifts!
Betty and Catharine were also very fond of animals, particularly dogs and cats. Betty’s dog Chante survives her – a Belgian Shepherd aged 12 – who has since settled back in with her breeder and a number of other Belgian Shepherds.
In her final years, Betty was cared for by Catharine and, later, her carer Jane. She cherished her independence, yet was very grateful for the care and support provided to her by both, as her health deteriorated.
Betty will be sorely missed, yet her determination, intellect and wit will continue to inspire those who knew her.